rechargeable batteries: AAA, AA RCR123

P

PB Wilson

Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
2,231
I'm kinda tired of replacing dead batteries with kids using them up all the time. I'm certain that karma will kick my ass one day with the amount of lead I've put back into the earth.:(

Anyway, I'm thinking of getting a NiteCore Intellicharge i4 v2 charger because it is affordable, user-friendly and will deal with most of the battery types I will probably ever use now and in the future. Good choice? I'd appreciate your input.

Also, I've got to stock up on batteries for various flashlights, headlamps and gadgets that kids use (and big kids like me).

I'm looking for AAA, AA and RCR123 and was looking for a brand to go with. Eneloop seems to have good reviews for the AAA and AA, but what about RCR123? Any good brands and places to buy them from?:confused:

Should I steer clear of Lithium ion batteries when kids are using them? I don't want to deal with the worry of fire when kids drain them and leave them all around the house, even if it's a relatively small risk. :eek:

Thanks.
 
As you mentioned the eneloop are good batteries. For the rechargeable 123 AW brand have a good rep.

Forgot to add whichever rechargeable 123 battery you choose make sure it's protected.
 
I've been looking into some good rechargeable AA's for my keyboard & mouse. Early research indicates that NiMH batteries with the highest mAh rating, are likely to provide the longest life. I purchased some Powerex AA's online with an mAh rating of 2700, besting my previous rechargeables by 500 mAh. So far, the mouse (takes a single AA battery) has lasted 3 days longer with the Powerex before needing a charge. Keyboard (takes 2 AA batteries) is going into its 2nd week on the same charge, which is about equivalent to the previous batteries, but it's still an ongoing evaluation. Time will tell if their life expectancy is capable of handling more recharges, while still delivering good power for a longer duration; but, so far I'm very encouraged with the Powerex.
 
Thanks for the info.

How about Tenergy rechargeables at 2600mAh for AA size? It looks like I can get a decent deal on them.
 
I think the whole fear of lithium batteries is quite over-hyped. I've used CR123's for years, there are spent ones all over the house that my kids play with, and I've got them in every closet/drawer/pack I use -- never had a problem.
 
I ordered the cheapies from fleabay and with the multi use charger I spent 1/8 the price and the batteries work great. Just know what you are buying (protected, MaH, ect)

123 batteries.... I found my flashlight can take 18650's instead of 2x123's. I get longer run times and only 1 battery to mess with. Again they come with a charger that will charge ANY battery!
 
protection circuits can fail, especially so in cheap batteries. also, with cheap batts they vary from batch to batch and are potentially dangerous if more than one is used in a multi-cell light. who knows what youre really getting under the plastic wrap :eek:

i would stick with protected aw, redilast, eagletac, xtar branded cells and a quality charger
 
Definitely eneloops for your AA and AAA needs. For RCR based, go with AW black label cells (protection circuit) and have a decent voltmeter/digital multimeter on to check voltage for cells.

Another option for RCR are LiFePO4 cells. These are also available by AW (blue label), Surefire, or Tenergy. They are 3v nominal, and while having a lower capacity than their LiCo or IMR counterparts, they are a much safer chemistry.
 
I have an Intellicharger and so do a ton of people over at budgetlightforum. It's kinda iffy on rc123's though. There's so little brands and not many people have used them. And with lithium batteries, If you get a light with 18650's just make positive they have a protection circuit. I'm not supposed to, but I run my batteries till they hit that once in a while and store at about 2/3 charge(4 volts) for batteries I'm not going to use for a while. Some lights have low voltage cutoff also, from tech inside the battery and also in a single cell lithium light, the led needs a certain mininum voltage to work, and when a lithium battery is really low say 3.5 volts, it won't even run the led. But that's typically only gonna happen in the cheaper lights, better lights will have better drivers and such.
 
I use the I4 charger and love it. Best $23 I've spent in a long time!

I am also a fan of Eneloops. I've got 20 of the black 2400's being used right now in 2 Goal Zero Guide 10's, flashlights, GPS, and a few kids toys.

For 14500's, 16340's, and 18650's I use Ultrafire. No real reason why I only use this brand other than I've gotten great deals on them, but I've had good luck with them and no issues at all.
 
US-STEEL said:
I've been looking into some good rechargeable AA's for my keyboard & mouse. Early research indicates that NiMH batteries with the highest mAh rating, are likely to provide the longest life. I purchased some Powerex AA's online with an mAh rating of 2700, besting my previous rechargeables by 500 mAh. So far, the mouse (takes a single AA battery) has lasted 3 days longer with the Powerex before needing a charge. Keyboard (takes 2 AA batteries) is going into its 2nd week on the same charge, which is about equivalent to the previous batteries, but it's still an ongoing evaluation. Time will tell if their life expectancy is capable of handling more recharges, while still delivering good power for a longer duration; but, so far I'm very encouraged with the Powerex.
Click to expand...

Interesting...I use a Logitech cordless laser mouse that runs on two AA alkalines. The batteries last close to a year and it gets heavy usage almost daily.

John
 
PB Wilson said:
, but what about RCR123? Any good brands and places to buy them from?:confused:
Click to expand...

Tenergy LIFEPO4 CR123's have been great for me. They don't stay charged as long, and they have to have their own unique 3.0V charger, but they are pretty idiot proof and can't explode like regular RCR123s can. I was told that they are safe to use in Surefire LEDs so long as you check that the voltage has settled from 3.6v off the charger to 3.2v after it sits a while.

PB Wilson said:
Should I steer clear of Lithium ion batteries when kids are using them?
Click to expand...

I would avoid regular lithium rechargeables with kids in the house. Most people will never have a problem, but I'd hate for it to be my children injured over something so stupid as a battery.
 
MatthewSB said:
I would avoid regular lithium rechargeables with kids in the house. Most people will never have a problem, but I'd hate for it to be my children injured over something so stupid as a battery.
Click to expand...

please bear in mind common electronics you most likely already own are powered by lithium rechargeable batteries such as your cellphone, ipod/ipad, laptops etc etc...
 
Caress of Steel said:
Interesting...I use a Logitech cordless laser mouse that runs on two AA alkalines. The batteries last close to a year and it gets heavy usage almost daily.
Click to expand...
My previous Mice & Keyboards were powered by 2 to 4 AA alkaline cells and it took forever for the batteries to become exhausted. However, I built a new PC this year and decided to refresh my Mouse & Keyboard. The Logitech Performance MX mouse uses a single AA cell - Although the mouse's performance is exceptional, it's single cell battery life isn't. The new Logitech K800 Keyboard is back-lit, so 2 AA cells don't last nearly as long as they would on a non-lit wireless keyboard.

Although Logitech missed a fine opportunity to beef up the battery capabilities of these 2 new devices, the overall performance gains, at least for me, negates the fact that I need to recharge them more frequently. Either can be charged on-the-fly while still in use and with Logitech's Unifying software running, both devices operate flawlessly with a single dongle. Very convenient if you have a shortage of available USB ports; of course, I don't have that problem, because my latest build has 27 active USB ports - kind of overkill, but for my purposes, so is 32GB of quad channel RAM.:)
 
Jaiofspam said:
please bear in mind common electronics you most likely already own are powered by lithium rechargeable batteries such as your cellphone, ipod/ipad, laptops etc etc...
Click to expand...

Sure they are, but I don't have 3 different chargers that run on different voltages lying around for them to blow themselves up with if they are messing around with something that appears harmless to them.
 
MatthewSB said:
Sure they are, but I don't have 3 different chargers that run on different voltages lying around for them to blow themselves up with if they are messing around with something that appears harmless to them.
Click to expand...

lol, i believe the solution is not to allow them to "play" with the batteries without your instruction/discretion and/or supervision... like you would with knives/firearms and young ones ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top